Another Dump Nozawa Onsen Another day another amazing dump of fresh snow in Nozawa. The powder tap has turned on and seems to be flowing hard. Late yesterday afternoon, the snowfalls began to ease and I suspected we’d get another big overnight dump as forecast. At about 8.30pm last night, the telltale signs were there as the first flakes began wafting past the village light posts. Overnight, we had thick heavy flakes falling down here in the village. Early this morning, it looks like the skies are clearing for a perfect bluebird day ahead. A rinse and repeat of yesterday? The overnight figures certainly suggests so; Yamabiko 20cm, Uenotaira 33cm. How many best days of the season can we have […]
Latest News from Nozawa Onsen
50cm Snow Overnight Nozawa
50cm Snow Overnight Nozawa Suki ni ikimashyo! Let’s go skiing! Last night, 50cm of fresh snow fell up top on Yamabiko we were only expecting 30cm so was a real bonus to get 50cm. The base now at 260cm so grade to get over that 2.5 meter mark. It even snowed briefly in Tokyo yesterday and the mercury is dropping below zero Celsius across the country. It’s a strong winter pressure pattern bringing in this influx of cold air and we are not complaining here at Nozawa Onsen! It’s some of the lowest temperatures Japan has seen as a country in a decade. TODAY: Temperature at the top; -10 degrees on Yamabiko and -12 degrees on Uenotaira! New snow since […]
Nozawa Onsen Freezing Temperatures
Nozawa Onsen Freezing Temperatures Ohayō gozaimasu from another chilly morning in Nozawa. We’ve woken up to another day in paradise! Fresh snow and more to come! The past few days have been especially cold in Nozawa. Naturally being a ski resort it gets cold however temps normally hover between 0 degrees and -5 degrees in the village. They have been down as low as – 11 degrees in town and even colder up at Yamabiko hitting a low of about -19 degrees. has lead to a few frozen pipes and toilets but also some amazing powder snow. Here are a few Japanese phrases around the theme of skiing for you to try out today: It’s cold = Samui desu ne. […]
Best Powder Day Nozawa
Best Powder Day Nozawa It’s one of those days… One of the BEST days of the year… A POWDER DAY! This is what people travel all over the world from to come ski and ride. With yesterday’s high winds, the upper mountain was closed all day… What this means for riders today is plenty of untouched fresh powder to claim first tracks on! Take care skiing and snowboarding in the powder. I’d recommend riding with at least one other person, just in case you lose a ski or pole and have to dig around in the snow. It’s still very cold out there, perfect temperatures for preserving the fresh powder, but wrap up warm – goggles and muffs are highly […]
Japan Cold Snap Nozawa
Japan Cold Snap Nozawa Japan is being hit by a once-in-a-decade cold snap and we’re certainly feeling it here in Nozawa Onsen. We’ve again hit our two metre mark for the Yamabiko base! Yesterday we woke up to sunshine but by lunchtime, the clouds had crowded in, the winds picked up and the snow started falling. The base went from 150cm to 230cm in just one day! Temperatures are the coldest they’ve been all season so if you’re out chasing some of that powder today, put on double those usual layers and make sure you’ve got your powder planks if venturing anywhere off the groomers. You know its cold when the road heating just can’t keep up. It’s going to […]
Snow Fall Nozawa Onsen
Snow Fall Nozawa Onsen Today is the beginning of what’s looking to be the snowiest week of the season so far! Perfect timing for all our guests travelling for the Chinese New Year. Nozawa Onsen is known for its excellent snowfall. People travel from all over the world to get a taste of that fresh powder! The best snowfall year Nozawa has ever experienced was in 1986… That season, they received more than 2000cm! The lowest record was in 2016 – where the mountain received just over 500cm… This is still a lot compared to an Australian ski field such as Perisher, which in that same year received just over 350cm. Today we should see around 50cm of snowfall throughout […]
Snow week coming Nozawa
Snow week coming Nozawa One of my favourite things about skiing at Nozawa Onsen, is seeing all the pups and dogs racing across the ski field. Siberian Huskies, Shiba, labradors and retrievers. Every day, I spot at least five furry friends running about in the snow. It’s simply adorable. Even more so if the dog is wearing ski goggles, little booties or a warm coat! Of all the places I’ve skied, I’ve never seen so many dogs! If you or your family member would like to pat the dog, you can ask via the phrase below! It’s always good to introduce yourself to the owner as well! Anata no inu ni sawattemo iidesuka? さわっても いいですか？ This week is looking to […]
Happy Chinese New Year Nozawa
Happy Chinese New Year Nozawa What a weekend in Nozawa Yesterday was a fantastic day on the mountain. The snow just kept coming all day and heavy at times. Was funny as I got on the Gondola after lunch it was sunny down the bottom but 8 minutes later when reached the top the snow was dumping down. Nice cold temps too which kept the slopes in good condition all day. Being the weekend and the start of Chinese New Year there were definitely more people around but didn’t line up much at all yesterday afternoon. Most Tokyo folk will head off at lunch time today so this afternoon should be good too. Todays Japanese word is “Nichiyobi” which means […]
Last Minute Booking Nozawa
Last Minute Booking Nozawa Snowy Winters day in Nozawa Almost the “Magic Foot” of fresh snow overnight for Nozawa and has probably got to 30cm by the time I finish typing this with huge flakes dropping from the sky right now in the village. The snow started just when I was heading to the onsen at about 9pm last night but heavier this morning. Great to see real winter conditions back in town and they look set to continue for a while now. Being the weekend should be a few people around but plenty of fresh tracks up for grabs. Gondola opens soon so get up there and have an awesome day Todays Japanese word is “Yuki” which means Snow. […]
Skiing Nozawa Onsen Japan
Skiing Nozawa Onsen Japan Calm before the storm in Nozawa Lots of big smiles on the hill yesterday for what many guests were describing as an epic day. With blue skies, frosted trees and nice snow conditions, people were having a great time on the slopes. Not many people around either which always helps. Looking like another sunny start to the day here as I peer out my window and drink my morning coffee. No new snow overnight but the groomers and views should be on point. Todays Japanese word is “Hare” which means Sunny. 🌄TODAY: Temperature at the top; -4 degrees New snow since yesterday; 0cm Base at the top; 140cm Snow conditions; Compacted snow so we recommend sticking […]